Category Archives: Europe

It certainly didn’t look like a restaurant; it barely qualified as a shop. There were a few bottles of wine and olive oil on the shelves, a couple of jars of honey, but mostly empty space and piles of paperwork. It was simply furnished with white walls, rickety shelving, a wooden beamed ceiling, and a terracotta tiled floor. A couple of two seater tables were laid in the middle of the small room, and as we entered our host Francisco greeted us warmly and invited us to sit down.

We weren’t quite sure what to expect from travel costs in Turkey, a country that bridges Europe and Asia. We knew it’d be more expensive than Southeast Asia and we hoped it’d be cheaper than Western Europe.

Just some of the dishes in our Turkish breakfast at Cafe Privato, Istanbul

Turkey is a meat loving country that’s also a vegetarian heaven. We had moments when we couldn’t find anything but kebab shops, but Turks also love their veggies and eat many dishes that are meat-free. We always found a veggie friendly option and ate very well.

Cappadocia is a fairytale land in the centre of Turkey. Soft volcanic rock has eroded to create a moon-like landscape of unique rock formations including the conical spires known as fairy chimneys. The multi-coloured canyons and valleys are stunning places to hike and are dotted with cave churches and homes carved into the rock that have been inhabited for thousands of years.

There aren’t many activities that will get hundreds of people out of bed at 4am, but hot air ballooning in Cappadocia is one of them. It is considered a must do activity and the best way to view the otherworldly landscapes and bizarre rock formations of this region in central Turkey.